The crushing defeat suffered by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 governorship election in Oyo State has left the party in the throes of death with no hope of early recovery in sight, reports Assistant Editor, Remi Adelowo
From 2003 to 2011, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in firm control of the political landscape of Oyo State. But not anymore, as the party is currently gasping for breath.
The party’s dwindling fortunes has left stakeholders worried that the trend, if allowed to persist till 2019, may signal its final death. That the PDP was the party to beat in the state until 2011 was an incontrovertible fact. From the governorship down to National and State Assembly seats, the party dictated the political tempo of the South West state, leaving opposition parties scrambling for crumbs.
Producing two state governors from 2003 to 2011 in the persons of Rashidi Ladoja and Adebayo Alao-Akala respectively, the party also boasts several other formidable politicians, including Yekini Adeojo, Wole Oyelese, Adebisi Olopoenia, Lekan Balogun and late Chief Lamidi Adedibu, widely acknowledged as the strongman of the state politics, in its fold, but table has since turned, with many of its chieftains taking refuge in other parties, while the few left are at a loss on how to inject life back into it.
Adedibu’s death and beginning of PDP’s fall
For close watchers of the state politics, the beginning of the fall of Oyo PDP started following the death of Adedeibu on June 11, 2008.
Before he passed on, the politician was the rallying point for the party in the state. His word was law. He determined who got what, when and how. Unapologetically ruthless in his approach to politics, he was credited as facilitating the emergence of Ladoja and Akala as governors. He also practically “installed” senators, members of the House of Representatives and ministers from the state. He brooks no opposition and was adored and feared in equal measure.
With his death, came many party chieftains fighting to control the party. The then governor, Akala naturally felt he should take charge. Expectedly, he got the backing of the national leadership of the party in this regard. Unfortunately however, he never earned the support and trust of other stakeholders of the party, particularly those who referred to themselves as “Adedibu’s political disciples,” led by former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, and a former deputy governor of the state, Hazeem Gbolarumi.
Attesting to this development and how Adedibu’s demise has left a leadership void in the party, Gbolarumi in a newspaper interview said: “When he (Adedibu) was around, he was a centre figure in Oyo and Nigerian politics. He was my father, mentor and everything. I belonged to his camp. It has not been easy since his demise; things have been difficult for Oyo State PDP. If he was around, things would not have been like this for PDP. He was a rallying figure, a mobiliser, a strategist, father and leader.
“Everybody respected him. Now after his exit, things fell apart. Everybody wants to be the leader and nobody wants to be a follower. Even a councilor in the party will tell you that he is also qualified to lead the party. The political terrain has not been all that easy in Oyo since the exit of Adedibu, but I know things will get better. It is just a matter of time; water will find its level.”
But rather than the water finding its level in the party, it has since been completely muddled up, with the situation getting from bad to worse.
Akala’s loss in 2011
The internal crisis that ensued in the party in the aftermath of Adedibu’s death was never resolved. Akala insisted on having his way over the control of the party, while his opponents also stuck to their guns. It was in this precarious state that the party went into the 2011 governorship election.
It was one election that was closely fought. But in the end, the incumbent, Akala who was so confident of winning a second term, lost to Senator Abiola Ajimobi of the now defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). There were unconfirmed reports then of a sell-out by many chieftains of the PDP, who allegedly worked against their party’s interest at the polls simply to get at Akala.
Akala, an experienced politician, of course knew what went wrong. He was alleged to have accused Folarin and a few party leaders for secretly working for Ajimobi behind the scene. Sources say the influence of former Islamic leader, Alhaji Abdulazeez Arisekola Alao, who died about two years ago, also played a key role in Akala’s defeat at the polls.
Shortly before the 2011 elections, Arisekola hosted a peace parley at his residence to reconcile Akala and Folarin, but the meeting was deadlocked, as the then governor allegedly refused to shift grounds. It was from this point that the two politicians parted ways.
2015 controversial primary
With Akala out of power, Folarin, also no longer in the Senate, but leveraging on his close links with the national leaders of the PDP, assumed full control of the party.
It was apparent he had his eyes on the 2015 governorship race. That he was the aspirant to beat was not in doubt. The party executive committee under the chairmanship of Alhaji Olayinka Taiwo allegedly loyal to Folarin was determined to hand him the governorship ticket.
The primaries came and as predicted, Folarin beat all-comers to the top prize. Expectedly, Akala rejected Folarin’s victory. After several attempts by him and another aspirant, Seyi Makinde, asking the national headquarters of the party to organise another primary failed, they left the party. While Akala joined the Labour Party (LP) and was handed the party’s governorship ticket, Makinde defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
These high profile defections resulted in dire consequences for the PDP at the 2015 governorship election. The party was badly fractured going into the polls, even as many attempts to pacify the aggrieved governorship aspirants all came to naught.
It was therefore no surprise that the party’s candidate, Folarin, came a distant third in the election behind Ladoja of the Accord Party (AP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) flag bearer, Ajimobi, who won a second term in office, the first in the history of the state.
Which way forward?
That the Oyo PDP is yet to get its bearing since its loss at the polls last year is like stating the obvious.
Political observers attribute this development to several factors, including Folarin’s non-inclusive style, and alleged tightfistedness.
A source said: “No PDP member of note in Oyo State is ready to work with Folarin. The party is now run more or less like his private property. That is why he (Folarin) is working at cross purpose with another top party member, Jumoke Akinjide, the former Minister of State of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who was alleged not to have rallied enough support for Folarin before the last governorship election and seems to have distanced herself from the party since last year.”
Another unique opportunity for the party to bounce back would present itself during the state congress tentatively coming up in the next two months.
However, there are strong indications that Folarin may have his way in the composition of the next executive council of the party, as other strong party members who could challenge his authority, are either of the party, or lack the financial muscle to have their ways.
Would this scenario bode well for the party both in the short and long term? An answer to this poser remains in the realm of conjecture.